Students lead local blood drive efforts

In response to serious blood shortages at both the Red Cross of Central New Jersey and at the University Medical Center at Princeton (UMCP), three students are organizing a blood drive in an effort to boost local supplies. The drive is scheduled to happen Nov. 30 and Dec. 1.

"The only resource they get blood from are volunteers," said Meaghan Petersack '08, who is organizing the event with Aditi Eleswarapu '09 and Shriya Raghavan '09. Eleswarapu is also a staff writer at The Daily Princetonian.

The organizers hope not only to increase local supplies but also to convince community contributors to give more blood than they have in the past. "The thing that was really bothering me is that Princeton had a goal of 200 pints of blood, which for our size is kind of low, and I know that other local universities of smaller size reach that without any problem," Petersack said, noting the last drive collected less than 150 pints.

The blood collected at the University drive — renamed the Dan Oberst Memorial Blood Drive this year in honor of an Office of Information Technology employee who passed away from cancer earlier this month — will go directly to the Red Cross, which has been too low on blood even to help the UMCP. Another group of students, the "Campus Blood Donors," chaired by Hannibal Person '08, regularly sends student donors directly to the UMCP to donate.

"At first it seemed competitive between us, but both groups quickly realized that it doesn't matter whether you give to the local community or to the greater community," Petersack said. "The point is: give blood. You can't really argue with that."

The University community isn't the only one scrounging for willing donors.

"There's usually a shortage now in the entire country," said Rao Andavolu, a pathologist who specializes in transfusions at UMCP. "We don't hear about it because that's just the way it is. And then it gets worse during the summer and winter months because people go on vacations and they get exposed to accidents so the need is more."

Blood drives across New Jersey face a particularly tough challenge.

"It's difficult. Out of the people who are eligible nationally to donate blood only seven percent donate, and in New Jersey it's only three percent," explained Diane Concannon, a spokeswoman for the New Jersey Red Cross. "For some reason, New Jersey is harder."

Both the Red Cross and the UMCP officials were quick to point out, however, that while the situation is serious, it hasn't yet resulted in operational problems.

"Most people hear the word shortage and they think surgeries are being canceled," Andavolu said. "[The UMCP], unlike many [hospitals] in the state, has almost never postponed surgeries in my 17 years of being here. We have enough blood to take care of patients, but there's always a pressing need for more."

Students who wish to donate blood can sign up online or at Frist Campus Center.